ROCHESTER-BATAVIA-SENECA FALLS, NY — 17.88% locality adjustment · Ranks 53th of 58 pay areas
| Grade | Step 1 | Step 2 | Step 3 | Step 4 | Step 5 | Step 6 | Step 7 | Step 8 | Step 9 | Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GS-1 | $26,622 | $27,514 | $28,400 | $29,281 | $30,164 | $30,682 | $31,558 | $32,439 | $32,476 | $33,299 |
| GS-2 | $29,933 | $30,645 | $31,638 | $32,476 | $32,839 | $33,804 | $34,770 | $35,735 | $36,701 | $37,666 |
| GS-3 | $32,662 | $33,751 | $34,841 | $35,930 | $37,019 | $38,108 | $39,197 | $40,287 | $41,376 | $42,465 |
| GS-4 | $36,664 | $37,887 | $39,109 | $40,331 | $41,554 | $42,776 | $43,999 | $45,221 | $46,444 | $47,666 |
| GS-5 | $41,021 | $42,388 | $43,756 | $45,123 | $46,491 | $47,858 | $49,226 | $50,593 | $51,960 | $53,328 |
| GS-6 | $45,727 | $47,251 | $48,775 | $50,299 | $51,824 | $53,348 | $54,872 | $56,396 | $57,920 | $59,445 |
| GS-7 | $50,813 | $52,507 | $54,201 | $55,895 | $57,589 | $59,283 | $60,977 | $62,671 | $64,365 | $66,059 |
| GS-8 | $56,274 | $58,149 | $60,024 | $61,900 | $63,775 | $65,651 | $67,526 | $69,402 | $71,277 | $73,153 |
| GS-9 | $62,155 | $64,227 | $66,299 | $68,372 | $70,444 | $72,516 | $74,589 | $76,661 | $78,733 | $80,806 |
| GS-10 | $68,446 | $70,727 | $73,008 | $75,289 | $77,570 | $79,851 | $82,132 | $84,413 | $86,694 | $88,975 |
| GS-11 | $75,202 | $77,709 | $80,216 | $82,723 | $85,231 | $87,738 | $90,245 | $92,753 | $95,260 | $97,767 |
| GS-12 | $90,135 | $93,139 | $96,144 | $99,149 | $102,154 | $105,158 | $108,163 | $111,168 | $114,173 | $117,177 |
| GS-13 | $107,182 | $110,755 | $114,328 | $117,901 | $121,474 | $125,047 | $128,620 | $132,193 | $135,766 | $139,339 |
| GS-14 | $126,657 | $130,880 | $135,102 | $139,325 | $143,547 | $147,770 | $151,992 | $156,215 | $160,437 | $164,659 |
| GS-15 | $148,981 | $153,948 | $158,914 | $163,880 | $168,847 | $173,813 | $178,779 | $183,745 | $188,712 | $193,678 |
Your Rochester locality salary feeds directly into your FERS High-3 average, which sets your pension for life. Use the GS Pay Calculator to see your exact salary and projected pension by grade, step, and locality.
The ROCHESTER-BATAVIA-SENECA FALLS, NY pay area carries a 17.88% locality adjustment for 2026, making it one of the lowest federal pay areas (#53 of 58). A GS-13 Step 1 employee here earns $107,182 annually, compared to $90,925 in the national base table — a difference of $16,257 per year.
Locality pay is calculated as: Base Pay × (1 + 17.88%). The resulting salary applies to all General Schedule employees assigned to a duty station within the ROCHESTER-BATAVIA-SENECA FALLS, NY geographic area as defined by OPM. Locality adjustments are effective each January alongside the across-the-board base pay increase.
Within the Northeast region, Rochester sits 7.38 points below the Northeast average of 25.26%. Measured against the Rest of U.S. baseline (17.06%), a GS-13 Step 1 in Rochester earns $745 more per year — $107,182 versus $106,437. Across the grade range, Step 1 salaries here run $41,021 at GS-5, $62,155 at GS-9, $107,182 at GS-13, and $148,981 at GS-15.
GS locality pay is capped at the Executive Schedule Level IV rate ($197,200 in 2026) regardless of grade, step, or locality percentage. No GS-15 step reaches the $197,200 statutory cap in Rochester, so every step increase translates into full salary through GS-15 Step 10. See the full interactive GS pay scale to compare all 58 locality pay areas side by side.
2026 locality-adjusted salaries for the grades that cover most of the federal workforce. Jump to a grade:
A GS-7 in Rochester — a common entry point for new graduates and many technician roles — starts at $50,813 on Step 1, reaches $57,589 at Step 5, and tops out at $66,059 on Step 10, after the 17.88% Rochester locality adjustment is applied to the $43,106 national base rate.
A GS-9 in Rochester — the typical first promotion step for specialists and analysts — starts at $62,155 on Step 1, reaches $70,444 at Step 5, and tops out at $80,806 on Step 10, after the 17.88% Rochester locality adjustment is applied to the $52,727 national base rate.
A GS-11 in Rochester — the full performance level for many professional series — starts at $75,202 on Step 1, reaches $85,231 at Step 5, and tops out at $97,767 on Step 10, after the 17.88% Rochester locality adjustment is applied to the $63,795 national base rate.
A GS-12 in Rochester — the journeyman level across much of the federal workforce — starts at $90,135 on Step 1, reaches $102,154 at Step 5, and tops out at $117,177 on Step 10, after the 17.88% Rochester locality adjustment is applied to the $76,463 national base rate.
A GS-13 in Rochester — the most common senior non-supervisory grade — starts at $107,182 on Step 1, reaches $121,474 at Step 5, and tops out at $139,339 on Step 10, after the 17.88% Rochester locality adjustment is applied to the $90,925 national base rate.
A GS-14 in Rochester — the supervisory and senior technical expert level — starts at $126,657 on Step 1, reaches $143,547 at Step 5, and tops out at $164,659 on Step 10, after the 17.88% Rochester locality adjustment is applied to the $107,446 national base rate.
A GS-15 in Rochester — the highest regular grade below the Senior Executive Service — starts at $148,981 on Step 1, reaches $168,847 at Step 5, and tops out at $193,678 on Step 10, after the 17.88% Rochester locality adjustment is applied to the $126,384 national base rate.
All 15 grades and 10 steps for Rochester are in the full table above, and the FERS Estimator converts any Rochester salary into projected lifetime pension income.
Other Northeast locality pay areas, closest to the Rochester rate first. The figure in parentheses is the difference from Rochester’s 17.88% adjustment.
Comparing offers across localities? The GS Pay Calculator models any grade, step, and locality combination, and the FERS Estimator shows what each option is worth as lifetime pension income. See all 58 pay areas for the full list.